Once A Year
by andi1013
Summary: Behind every great relationship, is a great friendship.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Oh please! I might be smart enough to write this story, but to think up characters like Mulder and Scully…I don't have that much brain power.

Author's Note: With all the crap that Scully and Mulder endure on XF, I felt that there had to be someone that Scully could at least talk to and get an unbiased opinion about her work and her partner. For all of those with friends miles and miles away, I hope you enjoy it.

Also, the little anecdote told in this story is based on an actual event that I have experienced, but the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

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She WOULD have to arrive on a Wednesday, the busiest day at the airport. The whole day was just one disaster after the other. Scully's car had broken down, so now she was on her way to the airport with Mulder to meet a friend she hadn't seen in a year.

A whole year. Had it passed that quickly? It seemed like only yesterday that Scully was saying goodbye. It's not like Scully had time to count the days. This past year had been so hectic, with no time to slow down. Yeah, this visit was exactly what she needed: a little taste of reality, a night talking to Mandi, no aliens, conspiracies, and the bureau altogether.

Mulder parked the car in the "loading and unloading" zone in front of the baggage claim. Scully climbed out of the car.

"Just stay here with the car and we'll meet you right here."

In reality, Scully didn't want Mulder to meet Mandi. Ever. For it was Mandi who knew how Scully truly felt about him. But there was no way around it. Mulder insisted on driving her to the airport. Scully saw the shocked expression cross his face when she mentioned she had a "friend" coming to town. There was no way out of it, though. It was Mulder's car, and Scully had no right to ask him to just let her borrow it.

As she ran down the corridor, Scully began to rattle off the gate numbers in her head, 'Gate 18, Gate 19, Gate 20…there we go, Gate 21.' The passengers were starting to depart. As Scully scanned the faces, she noticed Mandi wasn't among the passengers. 'She did say Flight 297 from New York at 5:00pm,' she thought. Scully was so deep in thoughtless confusion, she didn't notice a tall, brunette walk up behind her.

"You owe me dinner now," Mandi said.

Scully spun around and saw her. Man, she hasn't changed, she thought. A big grin came across Scully's face, "You little bitch." At that, Scully embraced Mandi in a tight hug. Mandi returned the gesture by spinning her around fast, causing a little dizziness for both.

When Mandi finally stopped, she set Scully down to the floor and smiled widely. "God, it's good to see you again."

"You have no idea," Scully replied.

Mandi began to walk at a brisk pace down the corridor towards the luggage retrieval. It was all Scully could do to try and keep up; it was a lot like trying to walk with Mulder. Oh no, Scully thought, Mulder's at the car.

Mandi grabbed her one bag from the claim area. "So where's your car?" she asked.

Scully, nervously, answered, "My car broke down, so I got a lift from, my partner."

Mandi turned and had a shocked expression on her face, "Is this THE partner? The Agent Mulder you told me about for the last six years?"

Scully cuts off her path before they reach the sliding doors, leading out to the parking area. "Not a word," she said, as she glared hard at Mandi.

Mandi nodded in response with a big grin on her face. She knew what Scully meant, and knew her well enough to take the cue.

Mulder was leaning against the car on the driver's side, guarding it as if it was the president's limo. He heard Scully's voice and quickly turned around to see her and Mandi walking towards him. As they approached the car, Mandi looked Mulder in the eye, and for a brief second, saw a hint of passion when he looked at Scully. Mandi tried to hide her grin as she introduced herself to Mulder.

"You must be the Fox Mulder I've heard about for the last six years."

Mulder looked confused. "I guess I am, but I'm sorry to say I haven't heard much about you."

Mandi turns to look at Scully, "That doesn't surprise me. I'd actually be surprised if Dana mentioned me at all." Scully lowered head, as if she was embarrassed, but in actuality praying deep down that Mandi wouldn't talk to Mulder that much. Scully climbed into the car, Mulder put Mandi's bag in the trunk while they got in.

As they pulled out of the airport and headed towards the freeway, Scully turned to Mandi. "What do you want for dinner?"

Mandi pondered the question, "Something homemade. I've eaten in so many restaurants in the past few months, it's not funny anymore."

"How about some lasagna? I still can make a mean tomato sauce."

"If it's your mother's recipe, I know you are telling the truth."

Scully looked over at Mulder, who was trying to navigate safely through D.C. traffic. "Do you mind taking us by the grocery store? I need to pick up a few things."

Mulder glanced between her and the road. "No, not at all." Scully sighed in relief, and Mulder veered to car towards the grocery store in Scully's neighborhood.

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It shouldn't have taken that long in the supermarket, but since Mandi insisted on having Margaret Scully's famous lasagna, gathering the ingredients were going to take a while.

Mandi grabbed a cart and latched on to Mulder's arm simultaneously. "Dana, you go ahead and get the stuff for the dinner, and Agent Mulder and I will go get the stuff for later." Mandi hurriedly walked away, leaving Scully standing there with a nervous look on her face. A year may have passed, but Mandi had a great memory, and a big mouth to go with it.

Mandi veered quickly down the candy aisle, causing Mulder to lose his balance a little bit. All of a sudden, Mandi began to dump graham crackers, marshmallows, chocolate bars into the cart. "Grab anything you want…she'll pay for it and think it's for later." Mulder grinned at that remark and grabbed a package of sunflower seeds. Mandi, in turn, grabbed a bag of fireballs. "Gotta have our fixes, right?" Before Mulder could respond, Mandi grabbed his arm, whipped him around fast and began to head towards the dairy section. "We need cookie dough."

"Why, just what the hell are you going to make?" Mulder asked.

"It's my own recipe. You take a regular smore, spread a little bit of cookie dough on it, nuke it for about 30 seconds, eat it with a mudslide and it's a great sugar rush."

Mulder let out a little laugh. Mandi looked back at him.

"What are you laughing at?"

Mulder chuckled. "It's just hard for me to believe that Scully has a friend who's so,"

"Spontaneous, wild, different," Mandi prompted.

"Yeah, different would be the word I would use." Mulder said.

Mandi found the roll of already-made chocolate chip cookie dough, grabbed it, swung the cart around, and dragged Mulder backwards by the arm towards the checkout line. "There's a lot you don't know about Dana, then," Mandi said.

Scully was waiting for them at the checkout line with an arm full of food. She plunked it all into the basket along with the other items. Noticing the package, Scully pulled out the large bag of sunflower seeds gracing the top of the pile.

"Do you expect me to pay for these," waving the bag in front of Mulder.

He grinned in response, "Severance pay?"

Scully grinned and threw the bag back in to the cart with the other groceries. Mandi began to dig through for the fireballs and noticed one thing missing.

"You forgot the garlic."

"Shit," Scully said. "I'll go get it. You two stand here and start putting the stuff on the belt." Scully walked swiftly towards the produce section. Mulder began to watch her leave with the same look in his eyes that Mandi had noticed earlier.

"Be careful," Mandi said, "she has eyes in the back of her head."

"Don't I know it," he replied.

Mandi just chuckled as she put the groceries on the belt. "Have you told her yet?"

"Told her what," Mulder asked.

Mandi opens her candy and puts one of the fireballs in her mouth, "Oh, come on Fox, I see how you look at her. You can't tell me that you don't love her."

Mulder began to place the groceries on the belt, "I won't tell you anything because it's none of your business."

"I take it by that reply that you haven't told her." Mandi pushed the cart forward as Mulder continued to put things on the belt. Silence rang out loudly among the beeping sounds of the register.

Finally, Mandi said, "Sorry, Fox, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, but do you ever wonder what would happen if you did tell her?"

Mulder laughed lightly, "Best case scenario, she would laugh in my face. Worst case…she would leave. It's better to keep what I do have than risk it all."

Mandi laughed, "You would be surprised at how much gambling can pay off." She paused and saw the smile come across his lips. Was this the same Fox Mulder Dana had described all these years?

"You know, Fox, you'd be surprised at how much you and Dana are alike."

"And how's that?"

Mandi leaned over the cart; Mulder met her halfway as she whispered, "Both of you are afraid to put it all on the table."

Mulder cocked his head and smirked. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Scully heading back towards them. Mandi noticed her as well and softly spoke, "Yeah, it's probably best you don't tell her. Most couples I know do fine until the thought of commitment enters the picture, but in case you haven't noticed it yet, you and Dana are not most couples."

Scully walked up and plopped the fresh garlic clove down in front of the cashier. Silent tension was somewhat evident when she returned. She knew instinctively that Mandi had said something to Mulder, but knew this wasn't the time or place to bring it up.

As they carried the bags out to the car, Mandi had an idea. "So, Agent Mulder, will you be joining us for dinner?" Mandi felt Scully's gaze on her and turned to reassure her. "It's the least we could do for his lovely driving services today."

Scully looked timidly towards Mulder, "It's alright with me, if you don't have any plans."

Mulder shut the trunk, looked at Mandi then to Scully, "No, I don't have plans, if you don't mind having me."

Scully nodded, all the while Mandi is watching both of them. "Good," Mandi said, "then I can tell all the stories of Dana in her wild days." Mulder smiled as he got in the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

Something about Mandi made him uneasy. Could it be because he didn't know her? Didn't know who she was, where she came from, how Scully knew her? Or maybe it was the fact that she had seen his true feelings for Scully, and the risk of that information getting out was dangerous.

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The drive to Scully's apartment was relatively short. She and Mandi immediately started making the dinner while Mulder was sent to buy a bottle of wine.

"She loves a good Pinot Noir," Mandi whispered to him as he ran out the door. Scully felt she should talk to Mandi while he was out, but didn't want to chance him walking in the middle of the conversation.

When Mandi saw the concerned look on her friend's face, she made it a point to reassure her. "I didn't say anything to him, so don't worry."

Scully was stirring the sauce in with the meat, checking the noodles, avoiding Mandi's comment. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

God, Mandi thought, do they realize how alike they are. "Dana, you know that anything you tell me in privacy stays private. I would never jeopardize our friendship." Scully nodded and decided to drop it, but Mandi wouldn't let go just yet.

"Why haven't you told him yet, Dana?"

Scully stopped and looked at her. "There's too much at stake. You wouldn't understand."

Mandi stopped what she was doing, crossed her arms, and faced Scully.

"Try me."

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.

"Later," Scully whispered, and opened the door to find Mulder standing there with a bottle of Pinot Noir in hand.

"Will this do?" he asked, walking past into the kitchen.

"Yeah," she said, "this is actually my favorite. How did you know?"

Mulder looked at Mandi, who turned away with a grin and continued chopping onions.

"A little birdie told me."

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Dinner was fulfilling. Not only did Scully cook a mean lasagna, but it allowed Mulder to see another side of her for the first time.

He hardly recognized the woman he'd been partners with over the last seven years. Everything he said would remind Mandi about another story, causing Scully to go into hysterical laughter as she told the tale. It was almost serene, seeing Scully in this light. Seeing her enjoying herself with a friend. Seeing her in the life he felt she deserved.

Mandi kept pouring out the stories left and right. She wanted Mulder to see Scully as very few did. She knew they wanted to be together, but knew certain circumstances prevented it, even though Scully had always been vague as to what. Seeing Scully laughing loudly reminded her of their younger days. Seeing Mulder look at Scully brought back memories of her and Peter. So much in love, so far apart.

Mandi pushed the thought out of her mind as she threaded her fingers around her wineglass, stood up and finished the story.

"So there we were, it had to be about three o'clock in the morning." Mandi began, becoming more animated with the story's progression.

"Dana and I are sneaking up this long ass driveway. I have the shaving cream, and she has the shoe polish. As soon as we reach the car, Dana is about to place this big white dot on the windshield. All of a sudden we hear 'I don't think so.'"

Mulder's eyes widened in anticipation, "What happened?"

Mandi replied, "We just froze, too afraid to make any kind of movement. When we finally found our courage, we turned back around and slowly walked back down the driveway to the car. Apparently, we weren't walking fast enough because the woman yelled out a threat to call the cops, and that's when Dana runs off full speed, leaving me standing there, trying to walk as fast as I can with all this crap in my arms."

Mulder let out a hardy laugh, "That sounds like something she would do."

Mandi complied, "Yeah, it was the only time she ever out ran me in anything."

"So did the guy every find out what you tried to do?" Mulder asked.

Scully, playing lightly with the rim of her glass, confessed the rest of the story. "Uh…It turns out we went to the wrong house. It was the house next to it that he lived in. But all was not lost." Scully took a long drink from her glass while Mulder looked at her almost confused. "We were able to get our hands on a big roll of plastic wrap, so a week later, we went back, to the right house this time, and, let's just say his car didn't get freezer burn."

Mulder laughed and silently made a mental 'thank you' note that he didn't really have a personal vehicle. Despite all the fun, Mulder was afraid he was impeding on a very important visit. Quickly glancing at his watch, he noticed the time said 11:00pm. It wasn't really late, but he felt guilty about being with them. From the way it looked, Scully didn't get to see Mandi that much, and he felt like a third wheel interrupting their visit, even though they BOTH invited him. No, it was time for him to exit stage left and allow Scully her time with Mandi.

Mulder graciously excused himself from the table and proceeded to the kitchen, where he put his dishes in the sink. Scully soon followed with her plate, as well as Mandi's, while Mandi went into the living room and scanned the music selection.

Mulder proceeded to wash his dishes when Scully walked up next to him.

"Don't worry about that, I'll get it," she said.

Her hand brushed lightly against his as she took the plate from him and set it in the sink. A brief glance was exchanged. And that's when Mulder saw what Mandi was talking about. The love and compassion he had so many times wanted to see in her eyes when she looked at him. He had finally seen it, even if it was just for a second.

Knowing this, he knew it was time to leave. He bent down to Scully and whispered for her ears only.

"I'm going to head home now. I've interfered with your visit long enough."

Scully's eyes changed emotion. Deep down, she wanted him to stay, but for the wrong reasons. She knew once he left Mandi would want to talk about him, ask questions she didn't want to answer. But to keep him there for that reason was wrong, so she complied.

"Okay, Mulder, if you think it's best."

Mulder smirked, "I didn't say it was best, but I don't think you want Mandi to tell me everything about you." Scully smirked at that remark, and Mulder turned to leave.

"It was nice meeting you, Mandi," he shouted.

Mandi turned in shock and walked towards him. "You're not leaving yet, are you?"

"Yeah, I've interfered long enough. Plus I'll bet you and Scully have a lot to talk about."

"Not really. We'll just talk about you." Mulder smiled, not knowing if she was kidding or not. As he opened the door, Mandi hugged his neck tightly. Mulder draped one arm around her waist, the other not leaving the door handle, not sure what he was suppose to do.

"I told you she felt the same way," she whispered.

Mulder pulled back and looked confused. Mandi smiled lightly at him, and he realized what she was talking about. But how did she know? It only happened a few minutes ago.

"Now, what are you going to do about it," Mandi asked, interrupting his thought.

Mulder smiled and turned to walk out the door. Mandi patted him lightly on the back as he exited into the hallway.

"Don't give up," she said. With that, Mandi closed the door, went back into the living room, put on the only decent CD she could find, and went into the kitchen to help Scully with the dessert.

As Mulder walked out of Scully's building, he couldn't shake the fact that he was beginning to trust Mandi. He had only known her for a few hours, and yet it felt like he had known her for years. Somehow, an instant trust was beginning to form, and there was only one explanation: Mandi had discovered the secret of his heart, that he was in love with Scully. When she told him not to give up, Mulder smirked a little. He was not prone to giving up, but he knew that Scully just needed time. But how much time? And how much longer would he have to wait?

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"Smores and mudslides all around," Scully said with excitement. She only indulged herself this pleasure with Mandi. This was their tradition: once a year visit, making smores, drinking liquor, and talking until dawn. It was the sense of reality Scully had for the past ten years, and she wanted to keep it that way.

Scully spread a thin layer of cookie dough over the graham cracker, placed the chocolate and marshmallow on top and placed bunches of them on a plate in the microwave. Mandi walked into the kitchen and hopped up on the cabinet opposite of Scully. Even though she loved meeting Mulder, Mandi was glad when he left, for she knew that Scully wouldn't talk to her with him in the room.

"Dana, why haven't you told him?" Mandi was always direct.

Scully hesitated with her response. "You were always one to get right to the point."

She didn't even turn to face Mandi. Besides Mulder, Mandi was the other person who could read her without saying a word. Instead, she pulled the smores out of the microwave, grabbed the mudslides, and went into the living room. Mandi, of course, followed her, and sat across from her on the couch.

"You haven't answered my question." She grabbed one of the crackers and swallowed it with the mudslide. Scully did the same and remained silent.

"Dammit, Dana. How long have you been playing this song and dance with him? Seven years? Don't you think it's time for you to take it to the next level?"

"It's more complicated than that."

"How?"

"You don't know our work. What we do, where we go. The enemies we make."

Mandi looked across at her friend, as Scully stared serenely into the fire. She felt for her so much, wanting to be with the man she loved, but unwilling to accept the risks that went along with the challenge.

"Dana," Mandi started softly, "you have told me in some detail about your work, and I see that it makes you happy doing it, despite all the dangers." She paused briefly to lie her hand on Scully's shoulder, "You, falling in love with Fox, has not rendered you helpless in anyway. As a matter of fact, it has helped you and made you better. And I suspect him as well."

Scully sighed and tilted her head down, viewing the couch. "I know you're right, Mandi. But that's not the complication I'm talking about."

Mandi moved her hand away from Scully's arm and placed it behind her head. "I'm assuming you are talking about this Diana person you despise so much." Scully nodded lightly in response. Mandi chuckled lightly, "Oh girl, it's just a case of jealousy. Someone else had their eyes on your man, and you have a right to be upset."

"It's not that," Scully began to retaliate, but backed off, "okay, part of it is that. But there's a bigger picture to it." Mandi looked confused until Scully continued, "It took me years to gain Mulder's trust. He would question my motives on everything up to about four years ago. And then this, woman, walks in to his life, obviously from a part of his life that I don't know about, and he automatically lets her in to his life,"

Mandi cuts her off, "And into his heart as well." Scully sighed heavily, letting the adrenaline leave her body, and nodded in surrender.

Mandi tried to sooth her, "I know it hurts like hell, to feel like you've been slapped in the face by the one you love. But I'm sure it's not the first time he has hurt you."

Scully could feel the tears swelling behind her eyes, as she looked at Mandi, seeing Mandi's expression mirror her own. It always amazed, and scared her how Mandi always knew every part of her soul. She hadn't even talked about Mulder that much until Mandi had forced out of her how she truly felt about him. But, as Mandi predicted, she did feel better telling someone, even if it wasn't the person she needed to tell.

A single tear ran down Scully's cheek, and she wiped it away in hesitant frustration. Tonight was supposed to be a night of remembering and happiness, and it turned out to be the opposite.

"No, Mandi, it's not the first time he's hurt me, but it is the first time he chose someone else over me." Scully gets up and walks towards to kitchen to grab another mudslide and mumbles to herself.

"That's what hurts the most."

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As the night progressed, Mandi chose to move towards "happier" topics. She talked about where she had been, what she saw, and whom she met. Scully talked about past cases that seemed so outrageous to her, but knew Mandi would get a kick out of them. She just happened to leave out the undercover assignment at Arcadia. Imagine that.

Before they both knew, dawn had arrived. Mandi's plane was scheduled to leave at 9:30am, and it was already 8:30. The garage called and told Scully that her car was ready to be picked up, so she was able to drive Mandi to the airport herself.

As Scully walked Mandi to the terminal, she decided that just this once she wanted to tempt fate. "Mandi, do you think we could do this again sooner instead of waiting another year?"

Mandi smiled at her. "Dana, you know all you ever have to do is call me, and I will be here to listen and to help. You are my greatest friend."

A tear fell down Scully's face. "I wish things could be different. There's always so much I want to say, and I hate the fact that I have to wait an entire year to say it."

Mandi decides to tempt fate herself. "Dana, you don't have to wait to see me, you do have Mulder you know." Scully rolled her eyes, knowing where Mandi was going.

"You listen to me Dana Katherine Scully," Mandi started, "you say you want to have an intimate level of trust with this man. Well, to do that, one of you must stop being stubborn and make the first move. You might be surprised, he might feel the same way."

"But I don't know,"

"You don't know if you don't try," Mandi cuts her off.

A loud voice comes over the intercom announcing the boarding of flight 1221. "That's my flight," Mandi says. She embraces Scully in a tight hug, Mandi herself not wanting to let go. Tears are falling as Mandi looks at her one last time before she boards the plane. "Think about what I said okay." Scully nodded as Mandi disappeared around the corner of the terminal.

One year. One whole year she would have to wait to see her again.

As Scully walked out of the airport and got into her car, she began to think about what Mandi said. Maybe it is time she took that next step and tell Mulder her true feelings. After all, even if he doesn't feel the same way, it shouldn't change anything between them, right? As she pondered these thoughts in her head, Scully didn't notice that she had driven straight to Mulder's apartment. When it finally dawned on her where she was, she had this feeling that somehow Mandi had directed her there.

Shaking the ridiculous idea out of her head, Scully decided to get out of the car and proceed to the door. Time to stop being stubborn, she thought. All the bets are riding on this. But what was she going to say? What would Mandi say?

TBC

Feedback is the greatest gift for a writer!


	2. Chapter 2

Spoilers: Orison

Disclaimer: Ma and daughter Scully are not mine, and neither is that farm boy, Fox Mulder. But that nice little neighbor girl, Mandi, she is mine and ya can't have her!

Summary: Mandi is back for a visit, but it's not a social call.

Notes: After watching 'Orison,' I felt it was a good time to bring Mandi back into the picture. I'm sorry, it doesn't pick up exactly where it left off in the first one, but remember this is about a friendship not entirely the M&S relationship. This is actually a three part series, and I'll see what you think of this one before I do the third.

BTW, if you haven't read part one, you might want to, otherwise you won't know who Mandi is.

Enjoy!

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Mulder sat quietly at the kitchen table, watching as Maggie Scully fixed the tea and brought out a plate of homemade cookies. "Can I help you with anything?" he asked.

Maggie just shook her head as she finished and brought the snacks over to the table. She had only a little trouble balancing everything, but she didn't falter s she set them down on the table. She nudged the plate slightly towards Mulder's direction. He quickly took the hint and grabbed a cookie, chewing slowly and savoring the taste in his mouth.

"These are very good," he added over a mouthful. Maggie slid into the seat across from him and held onto her cup. She nodded her appreciation.

"They're Dana's favorites," she replied. Mulder smiled and began to sip tentatively at his tea as they both fell into a tense silence.

The whole incident with Donnie Phaster had left Scully visibly shaken. After staying the night at Mulder's, she insisted that he take her to stay with her mother until her apartment was ready again. Her apartment was ready three days ago, and she still hadn't returned. Now Mulder was afraid she was hiding.

He swallowed the last bit of cookie, forcing it past his pallet, before talking. "How is she doing?"

Maggie sighed. "About the same. She won't talk. She barely eats or sleeps. I ask her if she wants to talk to you, but she always says 'no.'" Mulder nodded. She didn't want to talk to him much after they left her apartment, either.

He slouched back in his chair and gulped down his tea, letting it burn all the way. "I'm worried, Mrs. Scully. I honestly feel that she needs to talk to someone about this. Maybe she would feel better talking to her priest?"

Maggie was a little surprised at his suggestion. "He was one of the first people I thought of, but he's away on sabbatical."

Mulder nodded knowingly and took another harsh bite out of the cookie. Maggie could easily spot the worry on his face and reassured him. "Don't worry, Fox, I have sent for reinforcements." Mulder was a bit confused, but his question was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Maggie excused herself and went to answer the door.

The door to the kitchen was open, so he was able to make out sounds of a door opening, the high pitch delight in Ms. Scully's voice, tampered slightly with a hint of anxiety. He listened a little closer and heard a second voice responding, and he couldn't help but hear a familiarity in it. He leaned his chair towards the door to hear better, but it wasn't working. Finally, curiosity got the better of him, so he walked to put the face to the voice.

Surprise wasn't even the word. Stunned was more suited when he saw who was standing there.

"Mandi?"

Mandi looked over at Mulder, her arms still loosely around Maggie Scully after sharing a warm embrace. She looked a little worn down since the last time he saw her. Taking in the sight, her clothes were more tattered, and she carried the same ratty old backpack he remembered. Her eyes also showed signs of fatigue, a look Mulder knew from experience with long overbooked flights with no sleep.

"Hey, Fox," she replied, shaking his hand firmly. Maggie couldn't help but look confused at their familiarity with each other. Mandi picked up on it right away and clarified. "I met him when I came to visit Dana last year."

Maggie nodded. "Well, looks like you got to see everyone last time. But you couldn't find the time to come and visit me?" She was using the 'mom' tone. Mandi immediately went on the defensive.

"Hey, I was only in town for a day, and Fox just happened to be there when Dana picked me up. That's all," she defended in a playful tone. "Besides, I think you were out of town that weekend." Mandi really didn't know if that was true or not, but it was worth a shot. Maggie laughed and hugged the young woman again.

"It's good to see you again, Mandi," she said. Mandi returned the hug in kind, and then turned serious.

"Where is she?" she asked. Maggie nodded towards the staircase that led up to the bedrooms. Mandi took off her backpack and set it by the door before climbing the stairs to Dana's room. "Okay," she sighed, "you two go into the kitchen and try to relax. I'll go upstairs and see what I can do."

Maggie and Mulder both watched as she ascended the staircase, a look of intent on her face. "Come on," Maggie said, lightly touching Mulder's arm. "This may take awhile. Let's go have some more tea, and I'll fix you some real food." Mulder was a little reluctant at first, but Maggie reassured him that Scully would be fine and he turned to follow her into the kitchen, while his mind went upstairs with Mandi.

Mandi walked down the hall and put her ear to the bedroom door, listening. She didn't hear anything, of course she didn't expect to. So she knocked lightly. No answer. She decided to open the door slowly and peaked inside the room.

It was heartbreaking. Mandi saw her friend just sitting there on the edge of the bed, staring out the window. She didn't move or anything to acknowledge that Mandi was even in the room. Instead, she stared blankly out the window, looking at nothing.

Mandi tried to walk softly but was disappointed as the floor boards gave way and creaked. Scully flinched at the echo, but she still didn't turn. When she finally reached the bed, Mandi carefully sat down beside her.

"Hey, kid," she whispered. Scully didn't answer, but the change in her breathing assured Mandi that she knew she was there. Mandi looked in the direction of Scully's gaze.

"What are you looking at?" she asked. Nothing but silence was the response. Now Mandi was getting worried. She shifted her weight until she was facing Scully. Ever so lightly, and with caution, Mandi laid her hand on Scully's shoulder. When she didn't pull away, Mandi continued by moving her hand down to her back and rubbing light circles across it. She shifted her eyes back to Scully's face and was relieved to see her reacting to her touch.

First Scully let out a deep breath, and then she closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax under the friendly touch. She bowed her head and began to sob quietly. Mandi took this as her cue and wrapped both her arms around Scully. Scully welcomed the hug and turned into her friend's embrace, her sobs turning into wails as she finally let the fear and pain of the last few days fall out.

"That's it, Dana," Mandi soothed. "Just let it all out." She ran her hands up and down Scully's back and waited until the sobbing had subsided. Mandi pulled back and saw a tear-tracked face of one Dana Scully.

"Thank you," Scully whispered, wiping the tears away from her face.

"I swear you do some of the craziest things just to get me to visit," Mandi said. Her attempt at releasing the tension was rewarded with a small chuckle and followed by a few stray tears.

"Do you feel better?" she asked, continuously rubbing her back. Scully nodded.

"Good. Now, tell me what happened."

Scully looked horrified. "I don't know if I can."

Mandi reassured her. "Just start from the beginning and go at your own pace. We got time. I'm not going anywhere."

Scully agreed, wiped the few remaining tears from her face and braced herself to tell the horrifying episode again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie stirred the soup while Mulder sat at the kitchen table. She hadn't had much time to go shopping in the past few days, so they agreed to keep lunch simple with chicken noodle soup and a sandwich.

"How well did you get to know Mandi, Fox?" she asked. Mulder was deep in thought and jumped slightly at the sound of her voice.

"Oh, um, not very well. I was privy to some anecdotes about the younger days, but I left early to give her and Scully some time alone," he stumbled. Maggie was trying to keep herself busy by getting the plates and soup bowls out of the cabinet, all the while talking to him.

"Mandi was Dana's roommate in college." Mulder remembered that much information from the last time.

"I had met her when we helped Dana move into her dorm room. Right off the bat, I knew that there might be some tension between her and Dana. And it was easy to see that Dana thought so, too."

"Why was that?" he asked.

"Mandi, in a lot of ways, reminded me of Melissa. She seemed very spontaneous and free-spirited, which is totally the opposite of Dana. So it didn't surprise me when I would talk to Dana every week that she would tell me the most recent horrible thing Mandi had done to ruin her life. It was like sharing a room with Melissa all over again." Maggie brought over a sandwich and a bowl of soup to Mulder, his attention fixed on her story.

"That's kind of hard to believe that seeing how well they get along now," Mulder interjected.

Maggie chuckled and sat down across with her own sandwich and soup. "Well, by the end of her first semester, Dana just had enough and asked to be reassigned to another room." She paused and took a sip of the soup, then continued. "When Dana was in the middle of her second year, she fell in love with a young man, and he basically broke her heart. To have her tell it, she was crying in the library one night, and Mandi found her. They hadn't seen each other since Dana had moved out, but Mandi held no ill will towards her. She stayed with Dana, they talked about what happened, and some how, she made Dana feel better."

"How did she do that?" Mulder asked.

Maggie thought for a moment. "I'm not exactly sure, but I remember them coming by our house one night and asking me if I had any saran wrap." Mulder choked a little on his soup and covered his mouth with his napkin to hide the grin on his face.

"Are you okay, Fox?" she asked.

Mulder recovered quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just went down the wrong pipe." Maggie shrugged it off.

"Well, anyway, they became really good friends, but they made it a point not to live with each other again."

Mulder nodded knowingly. "So how come they only see each other once a year now?"

Maggie looked out the window, gathering her memories. "Mandi took off right after graduation. She decided to see the world, and I guess she just fell in love with it."

Mulder smiled over his soup. "Kind of like Melissa did, huh."

Maggie noticed the irony in her statement and smiled. "Yeah, I guess so."

"So, why did you send for her now?"

"Actually, I didn't," Maggie corrected, "She called me. She was trying to get in contact with Dana and hadn't had any luck, so she called here. That's when I told her what happened."

Mulder looked surprised, "That's some pretty good timing on Mandi's part."

"I don't think it has anything to do with timing." Maggie said. Mulder seemed a little confused, so Maggie clarified. "I don't know how else to explain it, but Mandi seems to have a sixth sense and knows the right time to come and see Dana. Sometimes it's just a casual night, other times it's something serious."

"Like now," Mulder supplied.

Maggie nodded. "I always thought of Mandi as Dana's own personal guardian angel. She isn't always visible, but she knows the right moment to make her presence known."

She put it so eloquently, the relationship between Scully and Mandi. And he figured, thinking back on it now, it made sense, especially with her last visit arriving on the eve of the big change in their relationship. He couldn't help but wonder if Mandi had aided in giving Scully, as well as himself, that extra push.

"Hey," Maggie said, drawing his attention back, "if anyone can help Dana, its Mandi."

Mulder sighed and looked again towards the ceiling. "I hope she can, Mrs. Scully."

Maggie patted his hand and returned to her soup.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mulder had finished his soup in sandwich, paying his complements to the chef. He wanted so badly to go up the stairs and check on Mandi's progress afterwards. But Maggie assured him that when she was ready Mandi would let them know. In the meantime, they tried to keep themselves occupied. Mulder helped with the dishes, and then they decided to take their tea into the den.

Mulder flipped on the TV, trying to find something to keep his mind occupied. He found a basketball game, but even the love of the sport was diminished by the fact that Scully was in so much pain. He needed to be patient, so instead of bounding up the stairs every five minutes, he decided to use his time in teaching Maggie the finer points of the sport of basketball. He was a little surprised that with two boys she didn't know the basics, but then again she was still a girl.

Whatever technique he was using seemed to be working cause the next thing he new the game was over and it was well into the afternoon. Maggie released him of his tutorials and began to scan through the stations trying to find something else to numb the mind. Her surfing, however, was abruptly interrupted when they heard the telltale sounds of creaking stairs. She looked at Mulder, he in turn, before they turned off the TV and hurried into the corridor.

Mandi came slowly down the stairs and behind her followed a fragile yet determined Dana Scully. They descended slowly down the stairs and stopped on the very last one. Mandi leaned against the wall while Scully braced herself against the railing.

Maggie was the first to speak. "Dana, sweetie, how are you feeling?" Mulder prayed that she said anything but 'fine.'

Scully took a deep breath and looked at each person in turn. "I would like to go home today." A collective sigh between Mulder and Maggie almost echoed through the room. Scully continued, "Mom, would you please come up and help me pack while I take a shower?" Maggie nodded, not even attempting to hide the smile on her face as she followed her daughter back up the stairs.

Mulder was now left standing with Mandi in the corridor, feeling somewhat awkward with this person. They watched as Scully and Maggie disappeared, then Mandi jumped down off the last step, standing toe-to-toe with Mulder.

"I need to talk to you," she said. Mulder nodded and followed her as she opened the front door and went out onto the porch.

The sun was setting in the background as Mandi turned and faced him. Her stance was stiff, arms crossed, and her expression told him she was being serious. "I need you to drive us over to Dana's apartment, Fox." Mulder nodded, he wouldn't accept anything less. "When we get there, I'm going to step back and let you take over."

Mulder was confused. "What do you mean?"

Mandi sighed. "You and I both know this incident shook Dana to the core. This is a big step for her, and she might stumble. I need to trust that you will be there to help her if she falls."

Mulder now understood what Maggie had said about Mandi earlier. She had done what she was supposed to do, and now it was time for her to slowly fade back into the background. "You can trust me, Mandi."

Mandi smiled, and looked a little relieved. "I'll be going with you, but it's just to help clean things up. That's all. If you need any help you can ask me, but I have a feeling you already know what to do." Mulder nodded in understanding. They were both distracted by the front door opening. Scully appeared, her mother close behind with Scully's suitcase in hand. Mulder made a move and took the suitcase from Maggie, and then walked down to his car.

Mandi gave Maggie one last hug 'goodbye' and turned her attention to Scully. "Ready, Dana?" Scully took a deep breath and nodded in response. She and Mandi made there way down the steps and towards the car. Scully looked back one last time at her mother before getting in the car. She smiled lightly as Maggie blew her a kiss.

As they pulled away, Maggie breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Somehow, she knew everything was going to be okay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ride over was pretty quiet. Scully sat in the back and just stared out the window while Mulder and Mandi sat in the front, very silent. When they arrived, Mulder got the bags out and was being gentlemanly in carrying them up the stairs to Scully's apartment.

The police tape had been stripped away. That was the first thing Mulder noticed, and he was glad, even though he didn't know what all was still awaited them on the other side of the door. Mandi, as promised, distanced herself from both of them. She was just an observer as Scully turned the key and opened the door to her apartment. Scully went in first, followed by Mulder, then Mandi.

It was hard to describe what was seen. The blood had been wiped off the floor, a product of the landlord, she imagined. A few black smudges still lingered on the wall where fingerprint dust was used. Other than that, not much was out of place. They stood there for a minute to allow Scully to take it all in again.

"I'll take these into the bedroom," Mulder started, but Mandi stopped him and made a grab for the bags.

"No," she interrupted, "I'll do it. You stay here with her." Scully turned and acknowledged her for the first time since they left the house. She looked worried. "It's okay, Dana," Mandi calmed, "Fox will be here for you. Remember what we talked about?" Scully closed her eyes, and once Mandi felt it was safe, she continued her task and took the suitcases down the hall to the bedroom.

Scully just stood in the middle of the living room, not really sure what to do. Mulder stood behind her, watching, unsure himself. He chose to just hover nearby and be there when she needed him.

When Mandi entered the bedroom, it was shocking. The glass had not been cleaned up off the floor, so she treaded lightly. She laid the suitcase on the bed and made her way back down the hall to the bathroom. She peaked in and noticed all the candles around the bathtub. She quietly closed the door and walked back into the living room. She was happy to see that Scully had moved a little since she left, now walking around the living room area, trying to become familiar again.

Mandi took this opportunity and talked to Mulder. "There's still some glass chards in her bedroom that need to be cleaned up. And there are a thousand candles in the bathroom." Mulder closed his eyes, trying hard not to think about what almost happened. "I think it would be a good idea if you took care of the bedroom, and I'll get rid of all the stuff in the bathroom before Dana sees it." Mulder agreed and walked into the kitchen.

Mandi decided to repeat this information to Scully, minus a few details. "Dana, there's still a mess to clean up in the bedroom. Do you think you and Fox can take care of that?"

Scully nodded slowly. "Okay, then, were are your trash bags?" Scully moved away and walked into the kitchen. She bumped into Mulder and reached down under the sink, pulling out a box of black, plastic trash bags. Mandi came up and pulled out a couple, leaving the rest for her and Mulder. "Let's get started," she prompted. Scully walked past them both and headed towards the bedroom. Mulder was becoming frustrated, Mandi could tell.

"Be patient, Fox," she ordered. "These things take time." He followed Scully to the bedroom while Mandi entered the bathroom.

The mirror had been broken into a thousand pieces. Unfortunately, none of them were really small. Mulder popped open a trash bag as Scully started picking up the pieces off the floor. He bent down and began doing the same. In the background, Mulder could hear the muffled sounds of heavy thumps. Those candles must've been huge.

It was a good thing they brought the whole box because the chards were cutting into the plastic, almost rendering them useless. After filling one up, he placed it into a second bag to prevent any injury. They were quiet the whole time; the only noise in the room was the sound of glass hitting the bottom of the bag. After a while, Mulder heard Mandi open the door to the bathroom and leave the apartment.

Good, he thought, one less thing for Scully to endure.

After they picked up all the pieces, Mulder grabbed the broom and swept up all the little pieces that couldn't be seen. He left the bedroom to dump the contents into the trash. When he returned, Scully was staring at the broken mirror, no reflection.

"Hey." He startled her and raised his hand in apology. "Are you hungry?" Scully nodded slightly. Mulder couldn't help but smile, it was the first time she had communicated with him days.

Scully saw a stray chard on the floor, trying to hide under the dresser. She picked it up, cutting her finger. She hissed at the sting and dropped it, causing it to shatter into more pieces.

Mulder rushed over to her side. "Are you all right?"

She began to suck the blood away from the wound. "Yeah, I just cut myself on the stupid glass." Mulder ran into the bathroom, returning with a wet washcloth.

"Here, let me see it," he said, reaching for her hand. Scully jerked it away from him and snatched the rag out of his hand in the process. She focused intently on the wound, willing herself not to cry.

"Mulder, I'm fine," she said, her voice on the verge of cracking. To Mulder, it was six years all over again, and history was being repeated. This time, however, Mulder knew what to do. He closed the distance between them, calming her frantic motions with the rag, stilling her hands.

"No, you're not," he whispered. He felt a single tear fall onto his hands, but he didn't move. He made no attempt to meet her eyes, no attempt to comfort her. He stood there, patiently, and waited.

Scully's tears became full sobs as she melted into him, burying her pain and fear in his chest, along with her tears. As he wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace, Mulder, too found himself crying.

Scully turned her head slightly, laying it flat against his chest. Mulder just held her and whispered in her ear. "I'm here, Scully. I always will be."

Scully's body instantly relaxed, causing Mulder to smile. Slowly, she was coming back to him.

"Uh, guys?" Mandi hated to interrupt such an intimate moment, but she figured they would have more. So she did it this one time.

Scully and Mulder both looked at her, a little embarrassed, and began wiping away the tear tracks.

"I hate to interrupt you, but there's still some things that need to be cleaned up," Mandi said.

Scully nodded in agreement, sniffing slightly. "Is the bathroom all done?"

"Yeah, everything's done in there."

Scully made a move towards the door. "Just let me get cleaned up and I'll be ready to tackle the kitchen."

"While you're doing that, Fox and I will take these bags down to the garbage," she replied, referring to the bags of glass. Scully just walked off like she didn't hear and shut the bathroom door.

Mandi helped Mulder with the fragile bags, minding the sharp edges sticking out, down the hallway to the door.

"I see you're making progress," she said out of the blue.

Mulder shrugged. "I guess it does help to be patient."

Mandi chuckled lightly, which caused Mulder to give her a questioning look. "I was just thinking," she clarified, "that between the two of you, your dentists must love you."

"Why do you say that?" Mulder asked.

Mandi opened the door and turned to face him. "Cause trying to get the two of you to admit how you feel, much less show it, is like pulling teeth." Mulder smiled at the analogy.

"I guess that's why I still have a lot of my baby teeth then, huh?" he retorted, leaving Mandi dumbfounded.

Between the three of them, clean up took no time at all. Mandi found it a good sign when Scully announced she was starving and wanted something 'hot and quick.' She had relaxed considerably since they arrived, and Mandi could only attribute it to one person.

Mandi sat in the plush chair eating her pizza, Mulder and Scully side-by-side on the sofa doing the same. Every now and then, Mandi spied Scully trying to steal something off of Mulder's plate, and he would playfully bat her hand away. In most cases, Mandi hated being the third wheel, but in this rare moment she enjoyed it. Watching two people who cared about each other was soothing to the soul.

When they finished, Scully announced that she was going to bed. She said her 'goodnights,' and left Mandi and Mulder to clean up.

Mulder took the pizza box into the kitchen, Mandi in hot pursuit. "Are you staying the night?"

Mulder turned, a little shocked. "Um, I was thinking that I might stay on the couch tonight, yeah," he choked out.

Mandi deposited the plates into the sink then leaned against the counter. "I think that would be a good idea since I'm going to be heading off soon."

"You're leaving? Now?" Mulder felt a twinge of anger.

"She doesn't need me anymore," she said, gesturing down the hall. Mulder didn't believe that. "Well, I mean, she doesn't need me right now. She has you, so I'm just a third wheel," she rectified.

As she made her way into the living room to pick up her bag, Mulder followed in suit. "How can I thank you?"

Mandi slung her bag on her back and opened the door. "If your first born is a girl, name it after me." She slammed the door before he could answer.

"She's gone, isn't she?" Mulder startled at the sound of Scully's voice. He didn't expect her to be right there, but when he turned around there she was standing in the hallway. He just nodded in answer.

Scully smiled wryly and walked over to lock the door. "That's Mandi for you. She shows up when she's needed and leaves when the job is done."

Mulder smiled at the memory of how Maggie described Mandi. "Kind of like a guardian angel."

Scully turned and stood toe-to-toe with him. "Well, if she is then she's fired." Mulder looked confused. "I think I found me a better one," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist, hugging him as tight as possible.

Mulder returned the gesture. He couldn't imagine himself as a guardian angel, but he believed he was up to the challenge.

END

Notes: Some of you might be upset that I didn't include the conversation between Mandi and Scully, but let me tell you something. I have learned as a writer that it's best not to force anything. I couldn't get the conversation to where I liked the way it sounded, so I just didn't include it. Please don't kill me!

FEEDBACK WOULD BE NICE!


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: This is the final chapter in this series. Of course, if it gets a decent response, I could always be enticed to write at least one more chapter.

Enjoy!

XXXXXXXXXXX

Scully breathed an exhausted sigh as she approached her apartment door. The drive back had been very tiring. Answering two hours worth of questions from local law enforcement was not much of an enticement either.

Now, it was past midnight. Maggie would berate her for working so late, and William would be tucked into bed. Even though Scully knew he would be up in a couple of hours for his feeding, she couldn't help but feel guilty about not being able to put him down herself. It was the one thing she had been looking forward to all night, and she missed it.

It was almost too much to think about as Scully pushed open the door to her apartment. She noticed all the lights were off and a soft glow of a fire in the living room. She quietly clicked the door behind her and set her keys down on the hall table, laying her briefcase beside it. As she made her way into the living room, she saw Maggie sitting on the sofa with her head hanging down. Scully felt a wave of guilt at seeing her mother so tired that she had fallen asleep in a sitting position.

"Mom, I'm sorry," she started as she walked around the sofa. "Agent Reyes called me in on a consult and it just took longer than I thought…" Scully stopped as she came around to face her mother and realized that she wasn't sleeping at all. She was smiling, holding the baby monitor in her hands.

Scully seated herself on the couch. "Mom?" she asked. Maggie looked up and motioned for her daughter to be quiet. She smiled, which caused Scully to be a little confused, to the baby monitor in her hands. Scully looked down, but all she heard was a slight crackling noise.

"What is it?" she asked, becoming worried. "Is it William? Is he okay?" She made a move to get up, but Maggie gently laid her hand on Scully's forearm, stalling her pursuit.

"He's okay," Maggie whispered and turned up the volume on the monitor. "He's met a new friend." As the volume increased, the crackling began to dissipate, and Scully could hear a friendly, familiar voice coming through.

"Mandi?" Scully couldn't hide her surprise.

Maggie nodded. "She arrived about thirty minutes ago looking for you. I was trying to get William to go down and she volunteered to do it instead."

Scully ran her hands over her face, chuckling lightly. "I hadn't told her about William, yet."

"I figured as much by her expression when I answered the door with William in my arms," Maggie replied.

"She must've been pretty shocked."

Maggie turned down the volume on the monitor and set it on the table. "I think 'floored' would be more appropriate," she supplied.

Scully chuckled to herself, watching the fire intently. Maggie breathed a heavy sigh and looked down at her hands, running them nervously over each other. "I told her about Fox, Dana."

Scully's eyes closed to the fire, reality rushing back to the current situation. Both women watched the fire, and then Maggie began to lightly rub Scully's back; a soothing gesture that used to comfort her as a child, and one she hoped would help dull the pain now.

Scully picked up the baby monitor and turned up the volume to listen some more, catching the unmistakable sounds of a lullaby. She smiled softly at the tune coming through the airwaves. Maggie smiled in turn, rubbing Scully's back one last time before standing.

"I believe my work here is done," she said. Maggie stood up and retrieved her coat from the hall closet. Scully accompanied her mother to the door. Maggie hugged her daughter tightly.

"Talk to her, sweetie," she whispered. Scully pulled back, tears forming in her eyes. She nodded in silent agreement and bid her mother 'goodnight.'

She walked back over to the table and lowered the volume again on the monitor and turned towards the direction of William's room.

The door was cracked enough for her to get a full view of Mandi cradling William in her arms. Scully couldn't make out what Mandi was singing, but it seemed to be working, for William was sound asleep, his head lying on her shoulder.

As Mandi turned towards the door, Scully made her presence known, opening the door fully. Mandi looked up and smiled at the sight of her friend. She kissed the small crown of the sleeping child then handed him off. Scully held the little boy in her arms just a bit longer then laid him down in his crib. Both women watched for a second as he slept then slipped out quietly into the hallway.

Mandi closed the door slightly, leaving a small crack. Scully gave her best friend a big hug, Mandi sighing contentedly at being with her friend again. Scully pulled away slightly.

"It's good to see you, Mandi," she said.

Mandi nodded. "I see we have a lot of catching up to do," she smirked. Scully chuckled, but her heart was only half way in it.

"I don't know where to begin," she admitted.

Mandi rubbed her arm lightly. "How about we start with a pot of coffee, and then we go from there."

Scully nodded in agreement and proceeded towards the kitchen. She knew that this was going to be a long story, so she opted to bring out the big pot with lots of sugar on standby.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The coffee pot was almost empty when Scully finished telling Mandi the events of the past year. There was even a point where Scully was sure Mandi would ask to put a little Irish in the coffee just to be able to make it through the more difficult details, especially the part about Mulder's absence.

"And you have no idea where he is?" Scully shook her head and sipped her coffee, not really wanting to confirm what she already knew verbally.

"Have you even tried to find him?" Mandi asked. Scully was a little taken back. Hadn't Mandi heard a single word she had said in the past hour?

"Mandi, I'm the one who sent him away, to keep him safe, to keep our family safe."

"Looks to me like maybe it wasn't the best decision for all of you," Mandi interrupted. Scully was shocked at her friend's bold statement. Sending Mulder away had been one of the most painful decisions she ever made, and she had thought long and hard before making it.

Mandi sat her cup down on the coffee table. "Dana, how long have we known each other?"

"Too long, it seems, sometimes. You know so much about me, it's scary."

"And how long have you known Fox?"

Scully wasn't sure what she was getting at, but she played along. "Ten years or so."

"And how much do the two of you know about each other?"

"So much sometimes it's . . .scary," Scully replied, realizing she was echoing her words about Mandi.

"You and I see each other so infrequently, and yet we are still connected after all this time. That works for us because it's the way it was suppose to be." Mandi continued, "You and Fox have the same connection, but you were meant to stay together. It's the way it's supposed to be. You're stronger together than you are apart, Dana. And you need to see that."

Scully rubbed a tired hand over her eyes. "It's not that simple, Mandi." Mandi sighed in frustration and stood up, crossing to the fire that was slowly dying in the fireplace. 'How ironic,' she thought.

"It's not simple, Dana, because you won't let it be." There was a long pause before Mandi spoke again. "You and Fox have something that is so rare, a connection that goes beyond all time." She turned and looked at her friend. "I had that once myself, and I was stupid enough to let it go."

Scully didn't even try to hide her shock. "When, Mandi? You never told me about this."

Mandi sat back down on the couch. "His name was Peter. And just like you and Mulder we fell in love but were too stubborn to admit it to each other. But we found out how wonderful it was when we did."

Scully repositioned herself to face Mandi. "So what happened?"

"Let's just say I let him go and I haven't seen him since." Quiet tears started to fall, and Mandi wiped them away quickly. "When you love somebody like you and I have loved somebody for so long, and you finally get to that point where you think you'll have all the time in the world to show them everyday…"

"That's when the world takes them away from you," Scully finished.

"No," Mandi corrected, "That's when you fight to hold onto that person even more so you don't waste time wondering 'what if.'"

Scully's eyes began to shimmer with unshed tears. She hugged Mandi tight to her, wanting the comfort of someone holding her. They stayed that way for a long moment, both women finally pulling away with tears in their eyes.

"Promise me, Dana," Mandi declared.

"Anything."

"Promise me, when you find him, you will never let him go again."

Scully nodded firmly. "I promise, Mandi."

THE END


End file.
